Leading the Way: Honoring Champions of Girls

15 Apr 2019

Leading the Way: Honoring Champions of Girls

April 6 was an extra special night for the supporters of Girl Scouts
of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois! Volunteers, donors, and
organizations from across the council gathered to celebrate Girl
Scouts and to honor the women and men that have gone above and beyond
to continue building girls of courage, confidence, and character who
make the world a better place. This evening was made even more special
by a keynote address from Girl Scouts of the USA CEO, Sylvia Acevedo.
Sylvia gave an inspirational talk over the importance of Girl Scouts,
volunteers, and the community as a whole. She reminded us all of the
power each and every member of Girl Scouts has to create a brighter,
more inclusive future. This, combined with STEM events, book signings,
and community events, made for a busy and memorable weekend for the council.

Thank you to everyone who played a role in making this weekend possible.

Congratulations to all of the honorees from the 2019 Leading the
Way: Honoring Champions of Girls Celebration:

2019 President’s Award Recipients

The impact of our program is only made possible because of
passionate community members who dedicate their time and resources to
building girls of courage, confidence, and character.

To achieve the President’s Award, a Service Unit team surpassed
their goals to deliver the Girl Scout mission to girls in their community.

SU 610 – Blackhawk Co.

SU 616 – Winneshiek Co.

SU 618 – Chickasaw Co.

SU 619 – Howard Co.

SU 621 – Benton Co.

SU 626 – Bremer Co.

SU 770 – Dubuque Co.

SU 771 – Dubuque Co.

SU 780 – Clayton Co.

SU 803 – Iowa Co.

SU 806 – Linn Co.

SU 807 – Linn Co.

SU 808 – Linn Co.

SU 809 – Linn Co.

SU 810 – Linn Co.

SU 811 – Linn Co.

SU 812 – Linn Co.

SU 816 – Johnson Co.

SU 819 – Johnson Co.

SU 821 – Washington Co.

SU 831 – Jones Co.

SU 836 – Muscatine Co.

SU 841 – Jackson CO.

SU 842 – Jackson Co.

SU 847 – Clinton Co.

SU 855 – Scott Co.

SU 857 – Scott Co.

SU 858 – Scott Co.

SU 859 – Scott Co.

SU 867 – Rock Island Co.

SU 868 – Rock Island Co.

SU 870 – Rock Island Co.

SU 886 – Henry Co.

SU 889 – Henry Co.

SU 890 – Henry Co.

SU 897 – Knox Co.

SU 941 – Jefferson Co

2019 Outstanding Service Award

The Outstanding Service Award goes to Roberta Lympus, of Swisher,
Iowa, for her volunteer help at a program or event. Roberta is a
retired teacher who volunteered a great deal of time last summer to
help troop 3122, with their Take Action Project, the Citizen Scientist Journey.

Roberta spent hours with the girls sharing her expertise on monarch
butterflies. She brought caterpillars for the girls to observe, and
magiscopes so they could look at them close-up; donated a flat of
seedlings for the girls’ monarch garden; and shared several varieties
of milkweed and nectar sources. After working with the girls, she
presented the leaders with a folder of teacher resources so they could
continue teaching the girls. As the girls learned that no effort is
too small when it comes to making a difference, Roberta came to mind
as the epitome of what an Outstanding Service Award recipient should be!

2019 Honor Pin Award

The following individuals earned the Honor Pin, recognizing them for
their service in delivering the Girl Scout program.

Heather Bishop | SU 780 | Rock Island, IllinoisHeather
has been a volunteer at Black Hawk Day camp for 10 years. She has
created an amazing experience for hundreds of girls around the Quad
Cities who come to Black Hawk Day camp. She always thinks outside the
box when it comes to programing and always brings in a variety of
guest speakers to enhance her daily program. She is an advocate for
team building and encourages girls to continue on as Program Aides as
they get older.

Cindy Bloomer | Bettendorf, IowaCindy is a very
dedicated volunteer who comes into the Bettendorf office on Mondays
and works four to five hours each time on office and data related
projects. To do many of these data projects she had to learn a
different system than what was the norm. She has helped with projects
for the Outdoor Program Department, entered Outreach membership
registration, and cleaned up data for grant cases to name a few.

Lacy Bock | SU 810 | Ely, IowaLacy is being awarded the
Honor Pin for her unrelenting passion for Girl Scouts. She has led
multiple troops and has served as director for her service unit. Lacy
stands out because she is always conscientious about opening her
events to all service units to give everyone a great experience.
She coordinated the Freedom Festival Paraded in which four service
units participated and she hosted a New Year’s Eve Bowling
Party/Cookie Rally for girls from Linn and Benton Counties.

Nancy Engler | SU 855 | Walcott, IowaNancy has been a
phenomenal volunteer for Girl Scouts for many years. Nancy is a true
advocate for the outdoors and Girl Scout camp. Nancy has been a
facilitator for both archery and waterfront activities. As a trained
facilitator, Nancy has always been one of the first to sign up to
spend her weekends facilitating these activities for other troops from
all around the council. She is always willing to come out to camp to
replace another volunteer so that girls are able to have a great
experience at camp.

Chris Gjere | SU 619 | Cresco, IowaChris Gjere became
an active member of Girl Scouts in 2016 as a troop leader. He has
been dedicated to improving the access troop leaders and girls have to
GSEIWI’s programs and training for his area. In the process, he has
grown to help many other areas as well. He took the training to be an
outdoor trainer and has traveled to Cedar Rapids, Camp Little Cloud
and Camp Liberty to offer outdoor training to our GSEIWI leaders.

Rebecca (Becky) Jordan | SU 807 | Marion, IowaAfter
attending a weekend event at Camp L-Kee-Ta, Becky and a fellow
volunteer were inspired to host a camp out at Camp L-Kee-Ta for Linn
County. After nearly a year’s worth of work and planning, the camp out
was held in June 2018. More than one hundred Linn County Girl Scouts
enjoyed a fun-filled three day weekend event.

Haley Mussmann | SU 806 | Cedar Rapids, IowaHaley was
inspired to host a camp out for Girl Scouts of Linn County after a
weekend event at Camp L-Kee-Ta. Following a year of planning,
Haley delivered a three day event – the first of its kind for this
Service Unit – providing an amazing experience for 85 girls and 20
volunteers! Haley’s leadership ensured fun new activities as well as
traditional camp activities like sing-alongs, outdoor cooking, skits
and archery. Girls and volunteers are very excited for another camp
experience in the future!

Cheryl Porter | SU 867 & SU 855 | Davenport, IowaCheryl is an active volunteer for Girl Scouts. She works with two
service units, is a leader for her niece’s troop, a Fall Sale and
Cookie Program Product Manager, and volunteers in the Bettendorf
office. She has helped with everything from data entry to helping
troops pick up their cookie orders. She also helps with training for
troop leaders. Without her, there would have been a huge delay in the
process for contacting prospective members. She is a key volunteer for
many aspects of our program!

Amy Wheeler | SU 831 | Anamosa, IowaAmy Wheeler, with
the help of her daughter Ally-Anna, led You and Me events for Girl
Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois this past year. They put
on quality programming where the girls and their gal pairs were able
to share the experience together through outdoor activities, hiking,
service projects, and bonding time with the Dove Project Self-Esteem activity.

Brian Wicks | SU 811 | Marion, IowaBrian has been a
huge asset to the Girl Scout cookie program – serving on the cookie
advisory board, as the Service Unit Product Manager, as the cookie
cupboard, and as a Troop Product Manager! He puts the girls first,
engaging them in discussions about what they want from their cookie
program, and also listens to troop leaders and cookie volunteers,
sharing their thoughts and ideas with the council. Because of him, the
cookie program in Marion is thriving!

Krista Wylie | SU 811 | Cedar Rapids, IowaKrista has
kept the Sunshine Valley day campers and staff well fed since 2014.
She joined the day camp volunteer staff because she wanted her
daughter to have a great experience, but little did she know she would
end up doing the grocery shopping, meal prep, serving, and washing
dishes for the five days of camp. In her five years, she has served
meals to 414 girls, more than 100 volunteers, and more than 30 day
care children. She has committed to work closely with the new kitchen
manager to ensure continued success – which speaks to the kind of
dedicated volunteer she is!

Recipients of the Thanks Badge volunteer above and beyond to support
the entire Girl Scout community with their dedication.

Theresa Bergthold | SU 855Theresa Bergthold is a
standout Girl Scout volunteer, helping girls as a troop leader,
leading the entire Service Unit, and truly stepping up whenever and
wherever needed. But it is her love of getting girls outdoors and
connecting them with nature that sets her apart. She is an adult
trainer for outdoor training for Girl Scout leaders. She is also
building future outdoor leaders by providing camp experiences for
older girls, with many going on to become program aides, role models,
and adult leaders.

Angelia Mitchell | SU 858Angelia has been a troop
leader for her sister’s troop since she became an adult. She is one of
the leaders for a multi-level ‘super troop’ of more than 80 girls.
When asked for volunteers to take First Aid and CPR instructor
training, Angelia and her mother stepped right up. Since then, this
dynamic duo has trained almost 100 volunteers throughout the council.
She brings a new spin to engage girls and adults in trainings making
them fun and memorable. Her great attitude is an asset as she mentors
incoming trainers and leaders.

Sandra Mitchell | SU 858As one of the troop leaders for
the Pleasant Valley ‘super troop,’ Sandra provides a place for girls
who don’t have a troop to go to. She has served her Service Unit as
registrar, school organizer, leader mentor and director. As part of a
dynamic training duo, Sandra and her daughter Angelia, recognized the
need for additional outdoor and camping trainings. They took the lead
to train girls to be program aides, while also helping more leaders be
trained in outdoor skills. They even take their first aid training on
the road to make it more convenient for others.

Mindy Stark | SU 836Mindy is referred to as the glue
that has held the Muscatine Service Unit together. She stepped up in
2008 and has become a great resource for the volunteer leaders. Mindy
has served as a national delegate and as a member of the council
bylaws committee. As part of that committee, she was instrumental and
vocal in making needed changes that resulted in a smoother way of
work. Mindy walked the walk when she used her voice to clearly explain
the impact of making these changes.

G.I.R.L. Donor Awards

Thanks to the generous support of our partners, girls in eastern
Iowa and western Illinois have the opportunity to develop the
confidence that Girl Scouts nurtures. They are investing in the next
generation of self-sufficient and capable women.

Russell Construction, Davenport, Iowa Go-Getter AwardRussell Construction has been a Girl Scout partner for many years.
While never one of their biggest clients, the Russell staff always
worked with us as if we were. The Russell team brought an idea to
life, turning the Rock Island office into a program center for girls.
They continued the theme with the Bettendorf Office, ensuring a
welcoming environment for staff, leaders, and girls. But it was the
vision to rebuild Camp Liberty that blew it out of the water! They
helped from concept to fruition. Through all of these projects, they
have given generously as well, supporting Camp Liberty, sponsoring One
Tough Cookie, and stepping right up as our premiere sponsor for
Leading the Way!

John Deere, Moline, Illinois Innovator AwardWhen
council leadership approached John Deere with a BIG dream of
renovating our camp in New Liberty, they responded with a vision which
helped us secure more contributions and expanded our program to ensure
low-income girls would get an outdoor experience. John Deere has
always provided an amazing workforce during the United Way Day of
Caring, and they have stepped up to support our robotics teams and
sponsor special events like Journey the World. This year, they worked
with council to deliver a national pillar program ensuring girls
continue to change the world through STEM!

Hills Bank, Hills, Iowa Risk-Taker AwardSeven
years ago, Hills Bank took a risk and partnered with our council to
remove obstacles so that all girls could get a Girl Scout experience.
The program was delivered right after school and girls in Linn and
Johnson Counties received financial assistance to cover their
membership fees. Hills Bank continued to support that project and now
invest greatly to ensure it continues for girls. Their employees have
volunteered at our program to help teach girls financial literacy,
helping them witness the impact first hand. They even invested in Camp
Liberty to help get girls outdoors through an inviting and safe camp experience!

Toyota Financial Services, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Leader
AwardToyota Financial has developed a number of amazing
opportunities to teach girls about financial literacy. This dedicated
team of employees hosted events in Cedar Rapids to educate 4th &
5th grade girls on money management. They participated in Toyota Days
at Camp Liberty where girls built their dream camp and learned about
budgeting, money earning and spending wisely. Toyota also provided a
dedicated Advisory team for financial literacy programs resulting in
serving more than 1,100 girls each year. They continue to host cookie
booths on site for outreach girls to develop leadership skills for the future!